Motivation and Inspiration

LickLickLick

Currently in my first year of art college, as soon as we get a new brief or project, I look forward to doing it and get full of ideas etc
As soon as I need to sit down and do it, I don't seem to want to and feel I don't have any unique ideas etc.

How do you stay motivated or get into a creative mood?



x

Chorcai

The 10min rule !

Say to yourself ok Im going to do 10mins of drawing/paintin... but if like me you'll end up 4hrs later going WTF where did the time go ! Give it a go.

NMoore

I've heard good things about a book called "The Artst's Way" by Julia Cameron (I think it's her) - meant to be excellent for getting in touch with your creativity...

looksee

As soon as you get the project and start getting ideas, scribble them down, do quick thumbnails. You will probably think you will remember all your ideas, but you will not, make a note of them.

Have a small notebook (or whatever electronic notetaker you have), and put down ideas, no matter how vague, as they occur to you, on the bus, having your breakfast, wherever. Then when you start the project - and start it as soon as possible, even if you have to break off to finish other projects - you will have something to work with.

Hand in all your scribbles and rough thumbnails as rough work - ideas are better than neat rows of over-drawn thumbnails.

Another way to get ideas going is to get a dictionary and a thesaurus and look up all the key words in the brief, including the ones you know the meaning of. List them out, synonyms, antonyms, definitions. Add any thoughts that occur to you as you do it, colours, feelings etc relating to any word. Don't do it mechanically, as a job to be done, let your mind explore the words you find.

Use a dictionary of symbolism to check out any colours or objects you come across, and make a note of the meaning. Hand all this stuff up as well, not necessarily 'presented', just the rough work as you did it, staple it together.

The greater part of all this will come to nothing (though it will, or should, get you marks), but in the middle of it somewhere you could find the seed of an idea that will grow into a project. It also all adds to your knowledge - which will help you develop ideas in the future.

OctavarIan

Like Chorcai said, you have to sit down and just force yourself to make a start on it.

No-one sits down at their desk and gets hit with a wave of inspiration every time. Part of becoming truly professional is being able to force yourself to start working, even if it's rubbish for 10 minutes, because that's what gets the creative ball rolling. You can't sit and think and expect art to form, you have to put pen to paper and help it.

Making notes and thumbnails like looksee said is a good way to get some ideas formed on the move, so that when you sit down at your desk you have something to kickstart with.

LickLickLick

Thanks everyone ten min rules works great x

artieanna

I always keep a notebook by my bed as I seem to get brainwaves at night. Any ideas that I get day or night go into the notebook and when I get stuck it can be really helpful.

I lost so many ideas by saying oh I'll think of that tomorrow and then tomorrow comes and I say what what that great Idea I had last night, I just don't remember them if I don't write it down....

Starting is always difficult, but once you start hours can pass without you noticing its very strange:P..